110 POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 



facilitate his search, bj confining his sight entirely to what 

 is below him, just as we place our hand over the brow to 

 enable us to see more clearly an object on the ground/' 

 This may or may not be the cause of the peculiar formation, 

 but similar proofs of contrivance are constantly presenting 

 themselves to those who study the works of the benevolent 

 Creator, who does not disdain to adapt the eye of a little 

 insect to its wants and happiness. 



An interesting account of these insects is given in the 

 'Magazine of Natural History' for November, 1835. Mr. 

 White, having collected some females at the end of June, 

 confined them in a glass jar, with sand at the bottom, 

 covered with moss ; he supplied his captives with snails, on 

 which they throve well, eating during a whole day without 

 Intermission, and then fasting for eight days. About the 

 middle of July, they deposited their eggs in the moss and 

 soon after died : the eggs were of a pale yellow, and emitted 

 light, particularly when the moss was sprinkled with water. 

 In August the larvae appeared : they were rather lighter in 

 colour than the eggs, but became gradually darker ; they 

 had also the power of giving light. These larvee went 

 through the usual process of casting their skins, and in the 

 following May (having been nine months in attaining their 



